One for the books

HenryB

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Dec 8, 2012
Messages
244
Fuel Filter Problem.jpg
Went to replace my in-line filter and got a surprise. The plastics were crumpled and melted by ethanol. The inside cartridge was floating and could be shaken from side to side inside the housing.

I took it to West Marine for a replacement and discovered that the Moeller and West Marine sell identical units, you can?t tell one from the other.

It was bound to fail and disintegrate and leak at less than a year old.

If I were you, and had one of these filters on my motor, I?d give it a check. Mine started out white and hard but became discolored and spongy.
 

Texasmark

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 20, 2005
Messages
14,778
Re: One for the books

What were you using, E85? I don't have a problem with E10.

Mark
 

HenryB

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Dec 8, 2012
Messages
244
Re: One for the books

E10 fuel. Do you have a filter like the one on the photo? Approximately one year old? Is it spongy and discolored? Is it a Moeller or West Marine?
 

UncleWillie

Captain
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
3,995
Re: One for the books

... The plastics were crumpled and melted by Ethanol...

How did you come to the conclusion that Ethanol was the cause?

Is it an OIL/Gas mix?
Were STABIL or SEA FOAM ever used?
Is it normally exposed to SUNLIGHT or engine HEAT?

So many possibilities! :rolleyes:
 

Campylobacter

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 4, 2007
Messages
503
Re: One for the books

I have similar filters on a generator and jetski that run E10 (both 10 years old), and they don't look at all like that! Don't know the manufacturer though.
 

JoLin

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 18, 2007
Messages
5,146
Re: One for the books

How did you come to the conclusion that Ethanol was the cause?

Is it an OIL/Gas mix?
Were STABIL or SEA FOAM ever used?
Is it normally exposed to SUNLIGHT or engine HEAT?

So many possibilities! :rolleyes:

Right. Another possibility is a faulty production run, though in all honesty that filter looks like it was exposed to high temperature. I don't see ethanol as the culprit.

My .02
 

Home Cookin'

Fleet Admiral
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
9,715
Re: One for the books

I can't see E10 being the cause and I am a major hater of the stuff. You have other causes including bad parts--get another brand.
 

crabby captain john

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Aug 6, 2011
Messages
1,823
Re: One for the books

Hate the stuff! Never been a drop in either of my last 2 boats. A local station just put in a new pump for ethanol free gas and I'm going to see what happens with a few tankfulls in my 2012 truck.
 

JoLin

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 18, 2007
Messages
5,146
Re: One for the books

To stay on topic... whether you hate the stuff or don't care one way or the other (like me), general consensus is that the OP's filter problem has nothing to do with ethanol.

I don't think anybody can say for sure what DID cause it, but it wasn't that.

My .02
 

HenryB

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Dec 8, 2012
Messages
244
Re: One for the books

Both West Marine and Moeller have recognized the problem and are taking steps to correct.
 

oldjeep

Admiral
Joined
May 17, 2010
Messages
6,455
Re: One for the books

Is that thing even uscg legal for marine use? Looks like heat damage to me, but I thought that fuel filters had to be encapsulated
 

aspeck

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
May 29, 2003
Messages
19,099
Re: One for the books

As already stated, wild speculation as to the reason for the parts malfunction. Could be many different things. The fact that it is being taken care of is what is important. They will find out if it was a bad part run, or some other cause.
 

oldjeep

Admiral
Joined
May 17, 2010
Messages
6,455
Re: One for the books

As already stated, wild speculation as to the reason for the parts malfunction. Could be many different things. The fact that it is being taken care of is what is important. They will find out if it was a bad part run, or some other cause.

Dunno - I still have a question about how they can sell that thing as a marine fuel filter.
 

frantically relaxing

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 19, 2011
Messages
699
Re: One for the books

I work with plastics and alcohol every day, and from some of the weird things I've seen, I can say that it may well have been alcohol that caused that filter to self destruct. But don't blame the alcohol. Blame the wrong (read:cheaper to make more profit) plastic used to make the filter. Could even be the gasoline itself caused it.

My bet is cheap plastic will turn out to be the problem that's been recognized...
 

spdracr39

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Aug 30, 2010
Messages
1,238
Re: One for the books

I had a filter do this the other day but it had diesel in it. I don't know the brand and it wasn't on a boat but they must have had a run of bad material at the manufacturing facility.
 
Top